I admit that I'm a hotel snob. This is largely due to the fact that I worked for many years in the hotel industry. I know what is expected and I refuse to settle for any less. I know that at least 2-3 people are down on the floor in a bathroom checking for stray hairs so if I happen to find one on my hotel bathroom floor I'm not just grossed out I'm also offended that 2-3 people were too lazy to notice it. The other thing that has turned me into a snob are relatively inexpensive hotel rooms in Las Vegas. I've stayed in rooms for $79 that made a $329 room in Boston look like a trash heap. Suffice it to say that my hotel standards are high and I expect a lot for very little.
Enter Wynn Las Vegas. It did not disappoint. Here is the huge bathroom. I couldn't fit it all in this picture:
This is the rest of the room. There are push button controls to operate the lights and windows so that when I walked in I touched a button and like something out of a movie the lights brightened and the curtains parted revealing floor to ceiling windows with a view of the property, down the entire Strip and out to the mountains.
I don't usually even bother with the little toiletries that a hotel leaves for you because the quality stinks, they smell even stinkier and I just don't have any interest. These products are fabulous. I first tried them at my trip to the spa and I felt great the rest of the day. Here's my takeaway: shower gel, shampoo, conditioner , moisturizer, body and hand soap, packs of Q tips and cotton swabs, shoe polish and buffing clothes:
I was sorry to leave but glad to head home. Oh did I mention the bubble glass wine glasses or the ipod docking station? It's really hard for me to stay at a Comfort Inn after a trip to Vegas!
I've just returned from Las Vegas and will likely have several Vegas themed posts in a row. This one focuses on a trip we took to the Neon Boneyard. For years we were aware that there was a place in Vegas where discarded, old, no longer in use neon signs were kept. It was not advertised and even if you figured out where it was you couldn't just show up and see the signs. They have gotten more structured in the past couple of years. In fact, they are working on an actual museum that will officially be open to the public. But in the meantime they have organized the neon signs. They have cleaned up the boneyard so that it isn't a mess of twisted steel and garbage. We still had to make an appointment ahead of time. You still cannot, in no uncertain terms, expect to just show up and get a tour. Well, we made a reservation, were told where the site is and it was so worth the wait. This is such a little gem of Las Vegas history.
This was our tour guide. He spent about an hour and a half leading us through the boneyard and telling all kinds of history and facts that I promptly forgot.
When I lived in Las Vegas I lived walking distance from the Showboat and found myself there a few times:
I worked at the Flamingo Hilton so it was neat to see these old Flamingo signs:
Ken is the real Vegas history buff and so I think he thought the whole thing was really neat. We will be excited to go back once they have an official museum but I like the idea of having been able to see the signs all kind of rough and out in the open like these were.
In my perfect life I get to buy a new plush love seat, 32" flat screen TV and vintage dresser stand to place the TV on. In my real life I get to rearrange my living room so it all feels a little bit newer.
This was my living room when I moved in over a year and a half ago. There isn't anything wrong with this configuration- but again-just trying to mix things up a little.
Here is the new look:
I made a quick trip to Best Buy for a 25' cable cord and I was able to move the TV to this wall. Since I wasn't able to buy a vintage dresser to place my new flat screen on I made do with placing some fabric over my Target particle board stand.
The view of the fireplace has opened up. There is more of a walk through space. The TV is at a better distance for viewing. And Lou still has room for his box. I've gotten him down to just one box top from the 2 paper bags and 3 boxes that he started the month out with.
So, a few things happened recently that made me realize I needed to say goodbye to my collection of CDs. I have been helping clean out my parent's garage and encouraging them to trash, sell or donate every single item. And yet I had 2 full boxes of empty jewel cases (the CDs being at home in those organizer thingees) sitting in that same garage.
I've wanted to do something with them for a while. Although I have fully embraced this digital world we live in I still had a huge fear of all of my music being wiped out with no CD collection to fall back on. With that fear in mind I subscribed to an online backup site called Carbonite. I now have all of the files, photos and music on my computer backed up in cyberspace by a reputable company. So, even if there is a flood, fire, theft or boneheaded user error I can retrieve my music.
I knew about a site called Swap A Book from my mom. They have a sister site called Swap A CD. I have now been spending much time organizing, posting, mailing and requesting CDs. It seems like each day I come home to find little packages like this in my mailbox:
Today's mail brought me back to 80's. These are both ones I had on cassette tape but never managed to get on CD... until now. So, I get the CD, back it up into iTunes and then Carbonite makes it all safe and sound. Any actual CDs hanging around by my next yard sale will be adios... and everyone's happy!
Today I went to the local Goodwill hoping to find a black jacket. Instead I walked out with 2 pairs of boots, 2 pairs of shoes and a book for under $34.00. All four pairs look brand new. They don't have any scuff marks on the heels or soles. A little disinfectant and I will be styling some great new winter footwear!
This is the first pair I spotted. I really needed a new pair of brown boots so I could actually justify this purchase.
This pair of boots was just for pure fun. Don't worry they are completely man made-no real snake skin for me!
I used to have a pair of shoes similar to the ones on the left and just recently had to toss them because they were beat up. And they ended up being only 4.00! The shoes on the right--I love these kind of shoes. I have a pair of ones that sort of look the same but in black. I didn't need them but they are too cute to turn away.
